I've Been on a Christina Aguilera Kick

And the one that started it all...

TGIF!

We're ready for the weekend here at Casa Harden.

DH is incredibly hoarse tonight because he's been on the phone so much this week. I'm finalizing everything for Hero Ad Hoc's release next month and wrapping up Hero De Novo before the production phase begins.

But GK had the biggest week of all. He went to enlist in the army. Physical tests, medical exams, the ASVAB, etc. He wants to become a tank mechanic. So I taped the following picture to his bedroom door for when he gets home...

Maintenance Morning

I got up this morning, and instead of writing, I got caught up on a lot of maintenance tasks since I plan a massive writing expedition to my favorite haunt tonight.

- Entered basic information on A Matter of Death for its two ISBNs.
- Added the new covers to Bowker for one of Alter Ego's series.
- Tracked down the internet pages for Alter Ego's books on Apple, and updated the links on the general info documents.
- Started entering Alter Ego's revised series into Google Play
- Took down Alter Ego's series from her account on Amazon in order to add to the publisher's account.
- Started entering Alter Ego's revised covers and updated book files to Smashwords and Barnes & Noble.
- Realized the ending for Hero De Novo needs to come from someone else's perspective, so I can tie up loose ends and still leave room for expansion in case sales warrant another book in the 888-555-HERO universe.
- Jotted down some notes for HDN's ending so I'd know where to pick up this evening.
- Toying with the idea of a crossover event between my various universes, a la Michael Moorcock's Universal Champion. It tickles me, but would the readers go for it?

Sometimes, I need the mundane redundancy of office task work in order for my Subconscious to come up with an alternant storyline for a wip.

Cleaning the bathroom when I'm stuck on a story can do in a pinch, but the business clerical work is what keeps my publishing company going, too.

Now, it's off to write!

One Step Forward, Two Steps Back

I just woke up at 1 p.m. EDT, and the only reason I'm awake is because DH came in to get me up.

My sleep cycles were finally getting back into a "normal" pattern after Groundhog Day, then came the damn cold virus. I didn't worry about my sleep patterns because sleep and lots of fluids are what's needed in that situation.

But now, I reasonably healthy again. DH and I are back to walking every evening. And my sleep is still screwed up.

I haven't had to do a reset in five years, but it looks like it's time to consider it. What's a reset? I go to bed a little later each day until I'm back to going to bed at my normal time. I just have to make sure I have no daytime appointments over the couple of weeks I need to do it right.

I could do a hard reset over a weekend, but I'm getting too old to stay awake 36 hours straight. Often the stress leads to getting sick. That's unacceptable when I'm trying to finish my next two releases.

On the plus side, being self-employed makes a longer reset so much easier than when I was employed by a third party. I lost a bit vacation time by sleeping through it to rest my internal clock.

I've Been on a Christina Aguilera Kick

Wild and wicked and so appropriate.

It's Better Than I Expected

I swear to Cow this is the best backhanded compliment I receive on my books.

Look, I know I come up with some wacky ideas. Hence, the name of this blog. It's funny how surprised readers, especially if they are also writers, are that I can make my crazy concepts work.

On the other hand, I guess I'm disappointed by how many other writers think I can't write at all. By no means do I think I'm the most gifted writer to grace the planet, and I do try to improve on a daily basis. Over the last fifteen years, I just tried to stitch together something fun that would entertain me.

I do find backhanded compliments useful because, let's face it, they are meant to be an insult.

Which they are in the right hands.

But when you don't know how to use them, you sound like a jealous bee-yatch. So use your power wisely.

Because my laughter can deflect your attempted insult.

Back to Work

Yesterday wasn't as bad pain-wise as I had feared. I got a bit done.

The trade paperback of Hero De Facto was uploaded to Ingramspark. It should start showing up on retailers' websites soon.

I got some work done on Hero De Novo, but tomorrow I need to buckle down and finish reviewing the print galleys of Hero Ad Hoc.

Then there's Dory's advice:

When Pain Comes A-Calling

Too much social activity over the weekend left me in bed for the entire morning. Introversion or chronic illness doesn't begin to cover what socialization does to me these days.

If I described what I did this weekend to most people, they'd be like, "What are you talking about? That's a normal weekend for me."

Once upon a time, it would have been a normal weekend for me as well. On Friday, DH and I went for our walk (trying to get back in the rhythm after recovering from the cold we both contracted), bought groceries for our empty cupboards, and picked up some dinner.

Saturday was date night, the first one we've had since December. We went out for Mexican before attending the high school's production of "Mamma Mia!" (which was totally awesome).

Then on Sunday, one of DH's uncles on his dad's side organized a family reunion/birthday party for FIL who turns 87 today. FIL had seven siblings, so when the surviving sibs, all the kids, grandkids, etc. gather, it's huge event. It's not like DH's family are crazy party animals though. We had a low-key potluck and cake.

Not really a lot right? But I woke up this morning with such muscle pain that I rolled over and tried to sleep off the discomfort. Or I did until DH woke me a little after one p.m.

I hate having to blow a good chunk of my day. My fingers ache as I type this. And I need to wait a half-hour before I can take my next dose of naproxen.

Tonight, DH and his sibs, spouses, etc. are taking FIL out to dinner to his favorite restaurant for his birthday. Which means, I'll be pretty much physically useless tomorrow and possibly Wednesday.

This type of stuff makes me so thankful for my writing. It's something I can do while sitting on my recliner on the bad days. And I can still live through my characters.

I've Been on a Christina Aguilera Kick

I loved it when she went all jazz...

New Release - Hero De Facto!

YES!! *fist pump* My first book in a year and a day is out!

Hero De Facto is now officially available on Amazon.

This is probably the best release in my life. Eleven months ago, I got some pretty bad news, and with each medical test, the news got worse. At one point, I wasn't sure if I'd ever finish writing another book.

So I'm simply grateful to be here, writing and publishing again.

And guess what? Y'all won't be guessing, "When the hell is she going to put out the next book?"

Yep, that's right! Hero Ad Hoc (888-555-HERO #2) is already up for pre-order on Amazon! I'm excited and tickled about being back on track. And I can't wait to see what readers think about this new world.

In the meantime, I'm polishing Book #3 and hope to have it up for pre-order before Hero Ad Hoc goes live.

Thank you to my family, friends, and medical personnel for getting me through the last year. And a special thank you to all you readers who waited patiently for me to get healthy again!